I was into all kinds of music as a teen - country music because my dad was in a band that played country and whatever my sister and brother were into.

The one thing that kept our family together was the music. The only thing that our family would share emotionally was to have our dad cry over something the kids did with music.

Before breaking into music I had various jobs: forklift driver driving a courier. But I was forced into working rather than doing it off my own bat because that was my dad's way: you got a job and paid your way.

My dad's side of the family had lots of artists and musicians. There's an emotional quite sentimental quality to Slavic culture. It's very open it loves art it loves music it loves literature. It's very warm it's very up it's very down. I would celebrate that.

I think the hardest thing about making music now is being a great dad at the same time. There's an insanity that goes with writing - a mad scientist thing that you have to go through - and sacrificing a kid's upbringing to do that is not an option.

Music was always the distraction so it was the obvious choice to pursue. My dad always said to find a job I love to do that way it wouldn't feel like a job. So I did that.

I don't really know any other musicians like me. I grew up backstage with my dad who played in a post-war dance band so I always feel at home at a venue.

Looking back I think I was always musical. My dad was very musical and I think my mom was musical.

My dad bless him was a musician. And his dad had thought that his music was rubbish.

I wanted to take up music so my father bought me a blunt instrument. He told me to knock myself out.

It may not be the most popular but there is a place for it. I think about the kind of music I love acoustic melodic and I guess it kind of took a bit of courage on my part to think I could be one of those songwriters.

I've always been inspired by artists who have shown musical and intellectual curiosity and the courage to take risks.

But we got up there and decided to stick to this mix of power chords and funk and that's where it really started for us. In having the courage to take that decision. To take a gamble not just with our music but our lives.

I never had a cool older brother or sister to turn me on to cool music. I had to discover it for myself.

In the old days a TV sync was perceived as not so cool or whittling away at your indie cred. Now it's seen as much more of an opportunity than a sellout as a way to find fans who wouldn't have ordinarily come across their genre of music.

My favorite thing is when cartoon fans show up to my live gigs! They are always the most kick-butt audience members 'cause they're not trying to act all cool like a lot of the music fans do!

I feel like my music is just an extension of my acting. I treat the songs like scenes that tell a story... it's very similar. My favorite thing is when cartoon fans show up to my live gigs! They are always the most kick-butt audience members 'cause they're not trying to act all cool like a lot of the music fans do! It's refreshing!!

They use all of the music that I did in the '50s '60s and the '70s behind people like Tupac and LL Cool J. I'm into all that stuff.

White people couldn't do black music back in the day because they weren't funky or bad enough. They weren't from the ghettoes but hip-hop and R&B changed all of that because white kids want to be down with it. They wanted to learn it so they studied the culture. It's kind of a cool thing because we shouldn't be so separate.

I think it's really cool to embrace the pain of something that may have hurt you and be able to express it through music.

I am kind of a private person so I don't miss that part of show business at all. Looking back on my career in television and making a movie like 'The Sound of Music' from an adult point of view it actually seems kind of unreal. I was involved in shows that people grew up with - that hold memories for them - and it's a cool feeling.

There is a bit of a movement as far as younger people in country music. That is cool because people are saying things like 'I didn't listen to country music until so-and-so came along.' And I'm like 'Yeah! Now you know why I love it.'

You always have in the back of your mind that would be cool if you get recognized. But you can't concentrate on any of those things. You've got to just keep playing and doing your music and the rest is just a bonus.

My favorite type of music to sing and to listen to you know rock. It's not always metal but you know half the time it is. Metal's cool you know? Not everybody on 'American Idol' listens to metal.